Fiber: Glossary

Here are definitions of medical terms related to Fiber: Its Importance In Your Diet.

Carbohydrate: Carbohydrates constitute the main source of energy for all body functions; the most important being saccharides, starch, cellulose, and gum.

Colon: The main part of the large intestine, responsible for absorbing water and salts from the digested products of the small intestine, and passing the digested products into the rectum for removal from the body.

Diverticular disease: A range of conditions that develop from the presence of one of more small pouches that protrude out of the normally smooth wall of the colon; these pouches can become inflamed and cause symptoms that include abdominal pain, constipation or diarrhea, and bleeding from the rectum.

Fiber: The parts of plant cells that are undigested in the small intestine; fiber is important to the health of the digestive system.

Insoluble fiber: This type of fiber is mainly made up of plant cell walls, and it cannot be dissolved in water.

Soluble fiber: This type of fiber is made up of polysaccharides (carbohydrates that contain three or more molecules of simple carbohydrates), and it does dissolve in water.